Patrick Rutigliano's Blog, page 4

Wind Chill on Tina’s Bookcase

A very nice review of Wind Chill from Tina Marie of Tina’s Bookcase:

https://tinamariesbookreviews.wordpress.com/2015/12/26/wind-chill-by-patrick-rutigliano/

This was actually Wind Chill’s first review. As it came well in advance of the release, I actually got my order mixed up when I made that post yesterday and had to edit it (totally my bad on that).

At any rate, just a couple more days to go until the release. And I’ve been told the ebook version is going to be on sale for a mere 99 cents Friday and Saturday, so snag that sucker cheap while you can!

Wind Chill’s Second Review

Wind Chill’s second review (the first will be shared tomorrow) came by way of horrornovelreviews.com, courtesy of Paula Limbaugh.

You can check out the full write up here: http://horrornovelreviews.com/2016/01/02/wind-chill/

I’m quite happy special mention was made of the bonus short stories included in the book. Amusingly, many of them were shortlisted at various pro markets but never accepted. Disappointing at the time, but they’re on a whole other level now thanks to some extra beta reading and editing.

 

Blurb Number Two

And another very nice blurb for Wind Chill:

“Patrick Rutigliano’s “Wind Chill” is a nice blend of old world meets new when an ancient myth comes to life for a modern doomsday prepper. Come for the title story and stay for more of Rutigliano’s bleak short pieces. This is a good little bundle of terror in one sick package.” –Mercedes M. Yardley, author of Little Dead Red.

Only five more days to go now…

Wind Chill Promo Week

Wind Chill comes out in just six short days.  Consequently, it seems a good time to start properly sharing some of the nice things being said about it to get you all as hyped as I am. I figure one a day (at a minimum) should be appropriate. Today, I share one of the book’s blurbs:

“Patrick Rutigliano writes crisp and lean, with a deft delivery, a vivid imagination and an ability to immerse the reader in the fear his well-developed characters suffer. Wind Chill evokes atmospheres as cold, claustrophobic and as intense as the environment it is set in, and with it, Rutigliano crafts a memorable tale where not one word is superfluous. In addition to the novella itself, this book contains the bonus of several other short works, each one a diverse slice of horror pitching ordinary folks into extraordinary situations where anything can, and usually does, happen. Highly recommended for all those who like a clever mix of both the cerebral and the visceral.” – Jim Goforth, author of Plebs

 

 

My Interview on the Darkness Dwells

Jason White was kind enough to interview me on The Darkness Dwells. Feel free to listen to me talking up my books as best as my general awkwardness allows. Also, apologies to Clyde Wolfe who was actually my editor on The Untimely Deaths of Daryl Handy. I brainfarted on that one as I was having another book edited by Felicia Sullivan at pretty much exactly the same time.

http://www.wheredarknessdwells.com/…/rutigliano-nightcrawler

There will be some more interviews and guest blogs in the coming days. I will, of course, make them all available here for easy access.

Wind Chill’s Cover!

The art is courtesy of the very talented Ben Baldwin. Wind Chill will be ready and waiting for you in the last days of January.

Under the Radar – Night of the Creeps

Of all the sub-genres of horror, comedy may be the hardest one to get right. Attempting to blend the two often winds up skewing the delivery into pure cheese. One-dimensional stereotypes and plots that play out as nothing more than a hodgepodge of familiar elements are standard. Having the guts to be funny and original–and to give your characters some heart–is a rarity. And Night of the Creeps nails it.

The films starts with an amusing sequence. Two aliens are chasing a third aboard a ship. The hunted creature is hauling away some manner of experiment, which he manages to launch to Earth circa 1959–the same night an escaped mental patient is prowling about with an axe. The crash is witnessed by a young college couple. Going to investigate, the boyfriend finds the alien object only for a slug-like creature to leap into his mouth. Meanwhile, the girl is hacked to pieces by the escaped maniac.

Jumping to 1986, the viewer is introduced to Chris and J.C. Chris is in a deep depression over a failed relationship, which leads to his friend trying to hook him up with a sorority girl (Cynthia) at a frat party. The two request membership to impress her and are tasked with placing a corpse on the steps of a rival frathouse. Chris and J.C. search the campus medical center and stumble upon the cryogenically preserved remains of the man infected in 1959. Fleeing after the body grabs J.C., the two are shocked to learn the corpse has managed to make its way to the steps of Cynthia’s sorority all on its own…

Night of the Creeps pulls off an impressive balancing act. The characters are well-played and very likable, boasting more layers than one might expect. Chris has confidence problems due to his breakup. Disabled J.C. constantly jokes because life is too depressing to face it any other way. And surly investigating Detective Cameron (the ex of the girl who was hacked at the beginning of the film) is plagued with PTSD and depression from witnessing the scene of the axe murder years ago. All this is done by way of short character scenes which add immeasurably to the film while preventing it from deviating too far from its cheeky tone.

The effects are decent for the time. The body-possessing creatures are appropriately slimy and disgusting, moving with an unsettling speed. Most of the gore and makeup effects are also good, with the exception of two truly laughable sequences involving infected animals.

Nights of the Creeps is a great example of how fun cliches can be when they’re twisted with actual creativity. While not every joke fires on all cylinders, most are worth a chuckle,  and there are some genuinely engrossing moments mixed in with the laughs.

 

And the Promotion Begins

Now that Wind Chill is through editing, I’ve been hitting up a number of podcasts and blogs to get the word out. I’ve already got a few bites, so you can rest assured I’ll keep you all updated on when these appearances become available. I’m also expecting to see the first cover mock ups within a week or so, and I’m rather excited to see how those turn out.

In other news, The Last Look is back from my chief beta-reader. As expected, it’s rougher than I would like given the hellacious production process it suffered, but still an acceptable rough draft. I think I’ll shoot for the end of the month as a respectable deadline by which to hammer it into shape.

Nearing the Finish Line

I just sent the final edits on Wind Chill back to my editor. After that, all that’s left is taking care of the proofing and the cover. So, if all goes according to schedule, you should finally be able to check that sucker out by the end of January. I’ll give you all the juicy details as they become available.

The Last Look is also under the sway of my beta-reader’s red pen and should be back to me in about a week. As I had very mixed feelings on that one after the endless supply of tech issues and consequent rewrites marring its creation, I’m hoping it measures up.

Meanwhile, and very unfortunately, KHP Books has closed its doors, leaving Surviving the Crash homeless. I’m rather torn on whether to hold onto it and try the self-publishing route once again or to try pitching it to an agent or publisher. I think I’ll have to sleep on that one for a little while.

The Season of the Witch

Happy October and upcoming Halloween to you all.

Sorry things have been a little on the slow side here. While I have a huge list of movies compiled for possible inclusion in Under the Radar, the last few I had time to sit down and watch weren’t quite good enough for me to recommend. The search goes on.

Meanwhile, The Last Look is starting to look pretty good (despite my apprehension given the myriad of setbacks it suffered) and should be ready for beta-reading within a week or so.